Little Pig Saves the Ship
(Little Pig)

Little Pig's still too small to do everything his brothers and sisters do...but it turns out that's not a problem. Little Pig's four older siblings are going to sailing camp, but Little Pig's not old enough. Eldest sibling Tiny gives him a rope to practice knots, but one whole day of tying knots is enough. Thankfully, Poppy and Grandpa come over, and Poppy brings a model ship he's carving. Little Pig helps Poppy finish the ship. They sail it on Monday and Tuesday and in the rain on Wednesday. They build a dock Thursday and sail it all the way across the river Friday. On Saturday it gets away from them and goes over a waterfall in a dramatic sequence that's perfectly gauged for the audience. Poppy can't catch it. Little Pig runs to the bridge, remembers the rope Tiny gave him, and makes use of those knots he practiced. He saves the day just in time to share sailing stories with all his siblings, home from camp. Costello's second title starring Little Pig's as charming as his earlier Little Pig Joins the Band (2011). The inviting watercolor-and-ink illustrations are a well-paced mix of full-bleed, spot, and cartoon panels dotted with speech bubbles that illuminate the close, intergenerational relationship between Little Pig and Poppy. Young listeners will identify with being too little but still quite capable. Here's hoping Little Pig will take his time growing up and gift readers with a few more tales of being smallest.

Copyright 2017 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

The intergenerational friendship between Poppy and Little Pig is heartwarming, and the open-to-interpretation presentation of the grandfathers in the illustrations (it's implied that grandpa and Poppy are a couple, but not overtly stated) is just right.

PreS-Gr 1--The adorable protagonist of Little Pig Joins the Band returns as his brothers and sisters head off to sailing camp for the summer. Little Pig is too small to join his siblings, so his brother leaves him a book of sailors' knots, and his grandfather carves him a miniature boat. Each day Little Pig and his grandfather sail the boat in a stream until one day it accidentally floats away. Little Pig uses his new knot-tying skills to rescue the vessel. Costello's ink and watercolor images mixed with comic book--style word bubbles and some paneled page layouts are thoughtful and add energy and movement. The story will be a familiar one to any young reader who feels too small to join in with older siblings or peers, and offers an empowering message of learning to overcome one's small stature. VERDICT Wholesome and cute, this fun new adventure with Little Pig is a satisfying addition to most collections. A great choice for storytime or small group sharing.--Kaitlin Malixi, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA